Handicapped parking monitoring system
View Patent ↗A system for monitoring handicapped parking areas including a stanchion disposed adjacent a monitored parking area and a monitoring assembly mounted on the stanchion and disposed in communicating relation with the monitored parking area. The monitoring assembly includes a control unit, which in turn includes a presence detector, a reader and a processor. The presence detector is operative to detect occupancy of a vehicle in the monitored parking area and the reader is configured to determine authorized usage of the vehicle, via a reading of identification data associated with vehicle within the monitored parking area. An indicator assembly is communicatively connected to the reader, via the processor, and is operative to indicate valid and invalid vehicle occupancy of the monitored parking area, based on the processing of the identification data by the processor.
1 . A system for monitoring handicapped parking areas, said system comprising:
a monitoring assembly disposed in communicating relation with a monitored handicapped parking area,
said monitoring assembly comprising a presence detector, identification capabilities, an indicator assembly and a processor,
said presence detector operative to detect occupancy of a vehicle in the monitored handicapped parking area,
said identification capabilities configured to obtain identification data associated with authorization to occupy the monitored handicapped parking area by the vehicle, said identification data comprising data obtained from at least one of a handicapped parking placard, a vehicle transponder, and an electronic communicative storage component associated with the vehicle or an occupant thereof,
said processor communicatively connected with said presence detector, said identification capabilities, and said indicator assembly, and being configured to process said identification data and determine authorized or unauthorized usage of the monitored handicapped parking area by the vehicle,
said indicator assembly communicating with said processor and being operative to indicate valid vehicle occupancy of the monitored handicapped parking area when said processor determines authorized usage and to indicate invalid vehicle occupancy of the monitored handicapped parking area when said processor determines unauthorized usage, and
wherein, upon an inability of said identification capabilities to obtain the identification data from the vehicle occupying the monitored handicapped parking area, said processor is configured to validate authorized usage of the monitored handicapped parking area through transceiver communication with a mobile communication device associated with an operator of the vehicle and located at or adjacent the monitored handicapped parking area, based at least in part on parking space identification information received from the mobile communication device, the parking space identification information being located on signage associated with the monitored handicapped parking area.
2 . The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said presence detector is connected to said identification capabilities and operative, via said processor, to provide on-off activation thereof.
3 . The system as recited in claim 2 wherein said presence detector comprises a camera disposed on said monitoring assembly in observable relation to vehicles within the monitored handicapped parking area.
4 . The system as recited in claim 2 wherein said identification capabilities comprise a reader disposed in visual communication with a vehicle within the monitored parking area and configured to determine identification data associated with vehicles within the monitored handicapped parking area.
5 . The system as recited in claim 4 wherein said reader is configured to read identification data on RFID components disposed on vehicles within the monitored handicapped parking area.
6 . The system as recited in claim 4 wherein said reader is configured to read identification data stored on transponder components mounted on vehicles within the monitored handicapped parking area.
7 . The system as recited in claim 4 wherein said indicator assembly comprises visually observable indicators connected to said reader and operative, via activation by said processor, to indicate valid and non-valid occupancy of a vehicle within the monitored handicapped parking area.
8 . The system as recited in claim 4 wherein said processor comprises communication capabilities configured to establish communicative links located internally and externally relative to the monitored handicapped parking area.
9 . The system as recited in claim 8 wherein said processor is communicative, via an external communication link, with external authoritative entities for citation generation against vehicles demonstrating invalid occupancy of the monitored handicapped parking area.
10 . The system as recited in claim 8 wherein said processor is connected to said reader and configured to determine validation of said identification data via a communication link with external authoritative entities.
11 . The system as recited in claim 8 further comprising a software communication application including transceiver capabilities, said communicative links including contact with mobile communication devices associated with vehicles within the monitored handicapped parking area, via said software communication application.
12 . The system as recited in claim 1 wherein said processor comprises storage facilities configured to maintain transactional log data, including vehicle entry and exit data, associated with the monitored handicapped parking area.
13 . A system for monitoring handicapped parking areas, said system comprising:
a stanchion disposed adjacent a monitored handicapped parking area,
a monitoring assembly mounted on said stanchion and disposed in visual communicating relation with the monitored handicapped parking area,
said monitoring assembly comprising a control unit including a presence detector, a reader and a processor,
said presence detector operative to detect occupancy of a vehicle in the monitored parking area,
said reader configured to obtain identification data associated with authorization to occupy the monitored handicapped parking area by the vehicle, said identification data comprising data obtained from at least one of a handicapped parking placard, a vehicle transponder, and an electronic communicative storage component associated with the vehicle or an occupant thereof,
said processor being communicatively connected with said presence detector and said reader and configured to process said identification data and determine authorized or unauthorized usage of the monitored handicapped parking area by the vehicle,
wherein said presence detector comprises a camera disposed on said monitoring assembly in observable relation to vehicles within the monitored handicapped parking area, said camera being configured to capture a license plate of the vehicle when said reader is unable to obtain said identification data from the vehicle occupying the monitored handicapped parking area, and
an indicator assembly mounted on said stanchion in and communicating with said reader, via said processor, said indicator assembly operative to indicate valid and invalid vehicle occupancy of the monitored parking area.
14 . The system as recited in claim 13 wherein said reader is configured to read identification data stored on RFID components and on transponder components mounted on vehicles within the monitored handicapped parking area.
15 . The system as recited in claim 13 wherein said processor is communicative, via an external communication link, with external authoritative entities for citation generation against vehicles demonstrating invalid occupancy of the monitored handicapped parking area.
16 . The system as recited in claim 15 wherein said processor is connected to said reader and configured to determine validation of said identification data via a communication link with external authoritative entities.
17 . The system as recited in claim 13 further comprising a software communication application, including transceiver capabilities and operative for two-way communication with mobile communication devices associated with operators of vehicles within the monitored handicapped parking area.
18 . The system as recited in claim 17 further comprising parking area identification information for the monitored handicapped parking area observably disposed on said stanchion, said parking area identification information being captured by the mobile communication device and transmitted to said processor via said transceiver capabilities for use in validating authorized usage of the monitored handicapped parking area.